Ben_ca
Contributor
I have bought several regs from Ebay and they have all worked out fine... you just have to read the fine print and know what you are looking for.
Why not to buy "bootleg" gear......
- Thread starter dhampton82
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OP
dhampton82
Guest
I got a reply from the seller (about an hour after I sent him a email, yes, this late at night).
He told me to send it back and he would be happy to send me a new one. He has 100% feedback and seems like an honest guy. I'm definatly holding back posting a feedback until I find out the outcome on this situation.
I guess my question to my self now is, do I trust reg number 2 or not............. I will keep everyone posted though on the outcome.....
He told me to send it back and he would be happy to send me a new one. He has 100% feedback and seems like an honest guy. I'm definatly holding back posting a feedback until I find out the outcome on this situation.
I guess my question to my self now is, do I trust reg number 2 or not............. I will keep everyone posted though on the outcome.....
rocketry
Contributor
can you give a reasonable definition of 'bootleg'?
I think that life support equipment is one thing that cannot be skimped on.
I think that life support equipment is one thing that cannot be skimped on.
OP
dhampton82
Guest
bootleg = knock-off = imitation = made in china(?) with no kinda of company name what so ever on it anywere.
dhampton82:
I'm glad you defined the term as you used it because your original post seemed to imply anything bought on Ebay, used or new.
Anytime you buy scuba equipment - even from your LDS - you should check it out in a controlled environment.
dhampton82:
I would not call that bootleg. In fact, MANY of the regulators we speak so highly of here in the United States or other countries are made in China.....in THE SAME FACTORY that made the mask you purchased......Ocean Enterprises Tiawan.
We a few exceptions (ie the three or four of the scuba manufacturers), major brand companies DO NOT make their own regulators. There simply isn't enough volume for them to do so. If you will look closely at a NUMBER of big name brands, you will see that the second stage air boxes, the exhaust manifolds, and many of the other primary parts are identical.....they simply purchase tooling to "retool" the purge cover and retaining ring.
The same applies (in fact, even more so) to masks. Many people claim that the unbranded masks are "knock-offs" of the major brand masks. In fact, it is quite the opposite. The Asian manufacturers own the tooling and sell the masks to the major manufacturers, who simply silk-screen or hot stamp their brand name on the mask. The following link will take you to a PERFECT example of this on my website......
MK-153 Frameless Dive Mask
Anyway, I am glad the seller agreed to take care of your problem. Thanks.
Phil Ellis
Just an FYI for people that may not know.
Atomic guts are all made in Hunrington Beach, CA
Atomic guts are all made in Hunrington Beach, CA
You commented indicating you're not sure whether you'll really trust the replacement, even if it seems fine. As a solo diver, myself, might I make a suggestion?
Once you've run the bootleg through its paces a bit (in the nice, warm, wonderful pool or wherever), when you solo, use *it* as your primary. If you have any reason to feel that part of your kit *might* be less reliable, it should be primary -- if it fails, you go to the rock-solid trusted backup. If you use an untrusted backup, you are forced to dive as if it had already failed, or at least, that's the way I dive it.
(Redundant gear doesn't have to be as comfortable, full-featured, or high-performance as main gear, but if it trades any of that off, it should be for reliability.)
Once you've run the bootleg through its paces a bit (in the nice, warm, wonderful pool or wherever), when you solo, use *it* as your primary. If you have any reason to feel that part of your kit *might* be less reliable, it should be primary -- if it fails, you go to the rock-solid trusted backup. If you use an untrusted backup, you are forced to dive as if it had already failed, or at least, that's the way I dive it.
(Redundant gear doesn't have to be as comfortable, full-featured, or high-performance as main gear, but if it trades any of that off, it should be for reliability.)
BrianO
Registered
The issue here doesn't seem to be whether or not this are used or not, but how long it may have been sitting on a shelf somewhere. For a first stage to leak out of the box is extremely rare and virtually unheard of.
Buying old gear that has never been used doesn't really qualify as new. We're talking about a life support system that manufacturers require new parts in every year for its annual servicing. If you pay $150.00 for the item and a servicing that will bring it up to useable condition, you haven't saved anything at all. Not only that, but if it's a discontinued model, it's just a matter of time before parrts are no longer available. You can get a new regulator for a bailout/backup system for about that amount.
Buying old gear that has never been used doesn't really qualify as new. We're talking about a life support system that manufacturers require new parts in every year for its annual servicing. If you pay $150.00 for the item and a servicing that will bring it up to useable condition, you haven't saved anything at all. Not only that, but if it's a discontinued model, it's just a matter of time before parrts are no longer available. You can get a new regulator for a bailout/backup system for about that amount.
ams511
Contributor
I would not trust the thing. A Delta 2 is a 15 year old design, which in itself is not bad. I have a delta 2 octo and it still works great. However, as a "bootleg" is could be either: 1) Oceanic reject with the lable removed. 2) New old stock from an production overrun that was sitting in a warehouse somewhere. 3) Newly manufactured (probably in mainland China not Taiwan) from tooling purchased from the original maker. In any case not something you want to bet your life on, especially when diving alone. Established scuba manufactures are not going to sell junk because of legal liability issues and reputation. Low end regs may not be the best performing but they are reliable, maybe even more so than high end regs because of reduced complexity. In any event the bootleg manufacturer's only concern is profit not the quality of the product or your safety. They may have cut corners on the product that Oceanic would never have agreed to.
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